Constellations
by Princess Santa Clause
Summary: After the disbanding of Team 7, Kiyowa assumes her new life with the ANBU Root Cell. Everything is going surprisingly well, until an uprising mission begins to make her question the choices that she's made up until this point. Is she cut out for this position? Is she ready for a responsibility beyond her years? What about the fate of Team 7. *Sequel to Lucky Stars.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello, My little Snowflakes. I know, it's been a couple of months, but that's okay! I've been planning long and hard to try bringing some real adventure and quality into this Sequel!**

 **However, chances are (Even though this is gonna have a LOT of Kiyowa) this story will also focus around the little people that have made this fanfic possible. AKA. All those characters you thought were just pointless side characters. :|**

 **Huehuehue. LOL. Anywho. Read on, my dear Snowflakes!**

"That's one _more_ thing we've found..."

Oh, how there had been so many of those.

Two years had passed since the 'death' of Kiyowa Shinzo, and though she never mingled amongst the village as herself anymore, she was astonished at the amazing bounty of information she had gotten.

In training with Shiji, she had been taught that 'knowing things' was just simply the job of the ANBU Root Cell. Their jobs were along the line of Top Secret operators. They worked along the shadows, fulfilling their missions and keeping the secrets of the village. As important as it was; it wasn't the information that stuck with her the most.

That information was more so of her old life; and the fate of that she knew. Her home... THEIR home. Was safe. All of the funds that had been supporting it, as well as the allowance she received was all direct from Shiji's donations from mission funds. As long as he continued or -as she had insisted- they split the donated funds, their house would remain standing and vacant via the source of an 'anonymous donation that wants to let the house be'. It was comforting.

As a grief-stricken kunoichi that was bathed in a bit of frustration, Kiyowa was quite rash in her decision to join the ANBU,and without a lie to be told, she sort of regretted it afterwards. Now, however, the feeling of regret and anguish had begun to quiet itself. She couldn't live for everyone else her whole life, and while they furthered themselves, she had to do the same.

Of all this heavy information that had been brought to light; it was the least of her concern at this very moment. The information she had received... Well...

"You're **definitely** not a healer."

Kiyowa's expression grew dull, lip poking out as she looked across the small table to her brother. He seemed to be laughing at just how terribly she had done.

Slowly lowering her head, she took to gazing at the lifeless fish on the tabletop. The poor thing had just stopped flopping... She picked it up, lip quivering, "I'm sorry!"

"You just have some really unstable chakra," The brown haired boy rested his head upon his hand, huffing in observation, "Your chakra control isn't... terrible persay... but it's like you've barely trained it."

That was true. Of all her other skills and teachings, Kiyowa's chakra control was the least of her worries. She had always relied on her ability to get just the right amount when performing tasks like walking on water, up trees, etc. To know just how much chakra to flow through a person or animal -a fish, in this case- was really difficult.

"It's a work in progress, but it's a little disappointing..."

 _OW?_ Disappointment was a rough word to play around with in Kiyowa's presence.

"Because girls usually make really good healers."

Kiyowa's mouth fell agape at her brother's blatant prejudice, ready to scold him, but someone else seemed to beat him to that.

" _IDIOT!_ " This came from that boar woman, the one that Kiyowa found was practically a high ranking officer around there. She hammered down her fist into his head, forcing his face to smack against the table top. After such an assault, she merely pat her bicep and rolled her purple eyes in discontent, "Don't be sexist, you swine!"

"A fitting comeback from a boar," He urfed, rubbing his face with the palm of his hand, though without lifting his head high enough to offer himself to her next potential beating.

"Sorry about him," Kiyowa quickly bowed her head in respect and apology, though received only a quick nod of acknowledgement from Boar.

"Don't worry about it too much," She casually replied, standing high and mighty, "Long as you don't go picking up too much from this lazy fleabag, you'll be fine, Kiyowa."

She offered a slightly awkward smile to her higher up, "Oh, I know how he can be. Don't worry..."

"Traitorous, I swear it," The brunette boy scoffed, finally raising up from the tapletop to settle in sitting -albeit slouching- up.

"That's actually what I've come to talk to you about."

Catching the attention of the two siblings, the woman sat down at their side, arms tucking into a fold after sliding a file onto the table.

As Shiji reached towards it, she promptly bat his hand away, placing her own hand on it to slide it over to Kiyowa, "It's something I think _you_ should see."

It was a heart-racing feeling through the chest, one that she had never felt since joining the ANBU. A file had never come expressly to _her_ before, mainly because as an early recruit, she had spent the last three years training under supervision. Although she was allowed to go on mission, she was most-often shadowed by an older member,and the mission itself was never one so challenging. Sometimes, it wasn't a mission at all, but a ploy that was to be treated like the real thing, thus to get her mind going on how she would _handle_ the real thing.

To have something given to her... A file that didn't run through her brother first? It was exciting; exhilarating; pride inducing.

Then all that pride shattered into the biggest washover of shame she had ever felt, all because of one glimpse to the information paperclipped to the right of a picture.

"Name: Sasuke Uchiha."

The top layer of the file slipped from her fingers, closing down over the enclosed information like a cover. So he had really done it. Although aware that he had left the village, she had never expected him to go for so long. He was off, traveling and roaming and... What grounds did he have? What purpose was he given? As far as she was concerned, and from all that she recalled, he merely left the village as to attain power that could be granted to him by Orochimaru.

What goal had he to sought that much power?

Her head tipped down, fingers running in through her tied back hair with a look of pure exasperation across her face.

"What the Hell did you show her?" Not irritation, but rather concern. Shiji had suddenly witnessed the expression of his sister drop from a simple day-to-day content that she always had, to a stress-induced pain.

"I ju-"

"Don't worry," Kiyowa spoke up, looking forward with a feigned smile twitching up at the corners of her lips, "I just got a little headache for a sec."

The concerned expression on the blue eyed male's face never changed. After all of this time, they had spent over the course of her admission into the ANBU, and it had done wonders to their relationship... And yet... All of their problems hadn't just mended and melted away like a sugardrop. It was something he expected, and he was willing to offer time.

Sucking up the will to stomach the information that lied beneath, she rose the file open once more. He looked so cold in the given image. Certainly, he had always been standoffish, and never one to wear his heart out on his sleeve, but this seemed far different than before. His eyes were dark and unfeeling. Time had passed, and that, she was aware of, but it was almost as though she had expected everything outside the walls of the hideout to remain unchanged. The falsehood of that finally came to reality, and it sent a pang through her chest. Everyone had grown and she had missed it.

"He was a member of your team," Boar began, drawing forward in her seat and beginning to raise the serious aspect of her tone and expression. Surprisingly enough, even a top-secret team had the capability of behaving like any casual family, but there was an instant switch that flicked when serious matters arose.

"That being said, we would find you the most knowledgeable of his goals, affairs, connections, and so on. You'd be the best one to handle this."

So what did this mean?

Kiyowa was stuck. Would she be studying the case from afar? Feeding them information on a former teammate and friend from the sidelines? Would that be...fine? Or is that a more personal form of treachery? Maybe she would have to be present n the team that apprehended him.

"Hello?" Shiji verbalized, waving his hand affront her face in a beckoning call back to Earth, "Ki?"

"Ahh.. I'm fine," She nodded her head once, then shook it free of all offending thoughts. Her thought was her mind getting in her way. Ridiculous, that is. Her loyalty was to her village now, and she gave everything for it. Her friendships, her future, and even her life, "I'll help however I can."

"Good. Now... The main problem here, is that the Leaf refuses to have him out and about doing what he pleases as he is. See, while he's causing his trouble, he's still labeled under the Leaf Village, making him a rogue from our village. That being said, all responsibility for his actions lie on us. I'm sure you understand how that could be a problem."

Well-understood. The actions of a rogue acting on behalf of the Leaf could very well cause a national incident if not halted.

"What are... your intentions for him?" Kiyowa's eyes were now focused up, repressing any sense of feeling that longed for his safety over the needs of the Leaf.

"We-"

Quickly, Shiji interjected, pushing Boar to the side, much to her displeasure, "He'll have to be imprisoned for his actions, of course. So the sooner we get to him, the less he's gotten the chance to do, and the better he makes out on this."

That answer made her feel a bit lighter in the chest. It wasn't as though he would be punished without reformation, that is. Certainly the way Shiji had jet into the conversation never raised any red flags; he did it all the time, and his given of chakra seemed to allocate just fine with the words he spoke. She couldn't sense a lie.

"Right. I understand," Well-affirmed to the mission, she lifted the file and tucked it under her arm. She would be studying that hard, and it also gave her a good excuse to get away from her brother and his attempts at making her heal by killing fish. It wasn't exactly something that set well with her conscience.

"You put whatever you can together out of that. You have time," Boar insisted, waving her off, "For a little while, we'll be monitoring his actions, waiting for our chance. We're relying on you."

The pressure of reliance never set on her shoulders quite as heavily as it had today. It was like a whole new feeling. Such important, and high caliber people... They were looking to her to solve their problems; and the feeling of significance was also one of anxiety. Still, years of practice had eliminated the feeling of suffocated pressure. Certainly there were nerves, but a twinge of confidence boiling over within was self-proof enough that she could accomplish this with enough hard work.

"I understand! I'll do my best!" She left the small room, heading towards her own small bunker with assurance. Why did she feel so... Happy and sure of herself? It was like a long lost covenant had been resurfaced within her. To save Sasuke. That's what she had wanted back then. To help her Team and to stop being so much of a liability. _That_ had been her goal. Finally... she was getting that chance.

Or... so she thought.

"What was _that?!"_ Spat Boar, settling her chin in her hands with a dagger-sharp glare directed at the brown haired male.

"You were just going to tell her... that we plan to off her teammate that way..?" The tone in which he spoke was serious, yet solemn, lagging through airily as though with ongoing regret.

"Well, you thought it better to lie about our objective? This is a group whose loyalty lies solely with the Leaf. What we do and our basis of operation revolves around our professionalism, not our _Feelings_." Her palm slammed down onto the tabletop, eyes narrowing, "Your priorities are seriously shifting, and you need to fix it."

It was true. Ever since Kiyowa had arrived, his brotherly senses had been intertwining with the way her operated in his work. It was an overjoyed feeling to have Kiyowa reunited with him, but it was beginning to get in the way. That... he couldn't allow. Now, because of sparing her feelings, he had her chasing after an impossible cause with the truthful believe that she would be saving him. Protecting and rehabilitating him. When in reality... She was only helping to kill him.

"I know. I understand."

 **A/N: There we have the FIRST CHAPTER!**

 **Now I know what you guys are thinking.**

 **"Dat wus teh chapi twus so shurt."**

 **Yes. It was short. IK. LOL. But don't worry about it, mkay? CAUSE ONCE THINGS GO FITTING TOGETHER AND FLOWING LIKE A MIGHTY TIDE, WE'LL HAVE LONGER CHAPTERS THAT ROLL ON LIKE THE OCEAN. Endlessly.**

 **Just kidding. BUT I HOPE YOU LIKED IT!**

 **Cya next time, my little Snowflakes.**


	2. Chapter 2: Bonds: I Held Your Hand

**HELLO, MY LITTLE SNOWFLAKES!**

 **Now I know what you're all thinking:**

 **"SANTURRR! WUR HAV U BNN!?"**

 **...What? I insulted you by portraying you with bad grammar?**

 **wel i gus mibi i wus jus mkin u guis bsd of ov ho i rite.**

 **...**

 **If you understood that. Congratulations. Because I typed that and I still didn't understand it. LOL.**

 **Anyway. I guess you could say Christmas ran a little over for Santa. :D *Sweaaaaatdrop* NOW LEMME LET CHRISTMAS RUN OVER FOR YOU!**

 _ **MERRY CHRISTMAS IN MARCH! NOW READ THE CHAPTER :D!**_

"Seriously...?" She was peering at her imaginary watch while tapping the ground with her toe in a certain impatient rhythm. Surely for one that always talked up the idea of punctuality and all of its importance, he wouldn't actually be keeping them waiting this long, right?

With the continuous feeling of restlessness shifting her body in various jolts and twits, she couldn't possibly wait much longer. Twenty minutes had suddenly become hours, hours to more hours that consistently piled atop one another, becoming a mighty weight that pressured against her shoulders, crippling her spine and buckling her knees until she couldn't help but start to ease towards the ground in a twisted mess under the weight of time and gravity itself until she finally-

"I can't WAIT anymore!"

"it's only been about ten minutes..."

"That's not the point!" Her hands were thrown up, but quickly lowered down against her hair to the tune of her heaving a heavy sigh. She was impatient. She always had been. There were a billion and one places that she could be, a million people that she could be meeting, and a thousand other things that she could be doing. Why waste it in one spot? The whole idea of it made her feel antsy and unsettled.

The green haired male that she spoke to glanced down at her -being she was far shorter than him-, and he merely offered her a sincerely sympathetic, yet mildly taken aback expression. He should have been used to this craziness from her, after all, they had practically spent the past three years together since the...incident. What he learned? To just let her go on her rants and tire herself out from complaining while he just sat by in silence.

"Please..." Came a voice, teeming with a sense of annoyance and distaste as the door began to open up, "I could hear you from upstairs in my room..."

"Well, Mister Punctual, maybe if you were down here instead of in your room, you wouldn't have had to hear my mouth!"

"..." He rolled his eyes briskly, locking up while pulling his bag up unto his shoulder, "I was needed by my parents. You know the issue with that. Had I come to them with an excuse, I would have been in a load of unnecessary trouble."

"Always with the excuses, Tashi," She merely scoffed at the reasoning, though the male at her left urged her shoulder in a subtle pat.

"Motsuki... Maybe we should let him off, y'know..? We're lucky he's able to come out at all."

"You call him tagging along _lucky_?" Drawing her fingers through her hair, she dragged her digits to the ends, then flipped the ebony locks whilst turning swiftly away. They proceeded to brush against the tops of her shoulder blades.

"Said the one that 'wasted her day' waiting for me..."

"What was that?" She peered sharply over her shoulder, only to be greeted with a severely bemused expression.

Neither of the males seemed to be particularly conditioned to her attitude, although they tried at least. Tashi had opened his mouth to rebut her sassy remark, but he came to notice that her attention was no longer on him. Following her line of sight, he and Banko came to see exactly what she was looking at.

"Looks like the idiot's back..." Though disinterest was clear, there was a sound of fondness behind her words. She'd never spoke much to the guy, but Kiyowa seemed to be pretty fond. Not just her, but even her uncle's team had been speaking highly of him before too long. She wasn't sure how much he had to offer, and quite frankly, he seemed like an overbearing knucklehead. Her lips twitched up in thought.

Either way; there he was in the flesh, standing beside some taller white haired male that struck her as overall unfamiliar. He hadn't seemed as though he'd made much of a change. She hadn't known him much before, but there was something about him that still seemed to silently press her buttons. She could, however, attest to the fact that physically, he seemed much more matured than he once had.

"You... plan on going to talk to him or something..?" The way she was staring was a little strange, and being as he was, Banko urged himself on to beg the question, rather than just letting them linger on in the slightly awkward silence that wafted.

"Nah..." Her eyes shut, the thoughtful look on her face falling through to a more casual and dismissive tone. Her hands lodged themselves down into her pockets, and with a swivel of her foot against the road below, she was off to walking in the other direction. The three, as they did almost every day now, were off to find some leisurely activity or hare-brained scheme to mix themselves up with -albeit it was most-often the latter. And normally, without surprise, Motsuki was the one that led the group in their daily misadventures. This time, however, while walking away, she remained unaware of the two usual followers that stayed in their places.

"Motsuki..." Banko slowly pointed out, after a wordless exchange of glances between he and Tash, "You're going the wrong way."

"Eh?" The ebony haired female paused.

Where she was going, was nowhere near the eventful part of town to which they always traveled. She was headed toward a very small residential section; one that she hadn't passed by in an awful long time.

What had spurred that sudden change in mind? That sudden shifting of routine direction?

 _'Yeah I know...'_ She thought quietly to herself, focusing her brown eyes off to the side with a newly formed air of stoicism that came over her. It was almost a depressive energy that had been suppressed on the inside for such a long amount of time; it was waiting for just this opportune moment to capitalize on an escape to freedom. _'It's where she lived, right?'_

Taking a moment of the silence offered to her by her partners in company, she managed to urge a mask onto her face; a smile. She turned around briskly, raising her hand in a most declarative way as she spoke in her assured tone, "I know where I'm going! I was just checking up on something!"

"It sure didn't take but a moment of well-placed correction to check it." As expected, that wise quip came from a more than bemused Tashi. His arms were folded -as per usual- and his brow was quirked in a challenging way. He was more than aware of how a comment on that level would affect her -

"Shut up! Who asked ya, smartass?!"

And that was it.

She took her rightful place at the front of the group, head held high and her strides long and powerful. Clearly she hadn't a care in the world, nor any qualms with taking the leadership role. Not to mention the fact that her recent hair growth had left her with this instilled habit of flipping her hair. Attitude. It seemed like the years that had flown by had only greeted her with just that; Attitude... on top of attitude... Topped with wit. And more attitude.

Still, despite the bickering they shared, the quieter of the two males seemed not to worry about the malice they would tend to bear against one another. In his eyes, it was merely routine. The three of them had woven a tight web of unlikely companionship over the years, and they bonded over a shared problem. His head tipped up towards the sky; thoughts began to sweep into his mind, watering the seeds of old wounds that had seemed to be buried so long ago.

 _When Kiyowa passed away, he remained stoic. He'd known her only briefly, and hadn't the chance to learn of her, to pick her apart to find her centers of interest, nor to identify with her strife. It was also fair to say, however... That he never really wanted to. The girl had improved, from what he had seen. He'd studied her before, sized her up as competition, and as a result, paid quite close attention to the match between she and Banko._

 _She was less than impressive. He'd immediately written her off as a threat, seeing as Motsuki seemed to be the only one really capable of producing any damaging blows or notable uses of jutsu back then. Yet in such a short amount of time, she'd managed to surprise him. It was a feat yes; and her efforts hadn't gone unrecognized. But the fact remained... There was no pain to be felt. He had actually only attended the service with his parents so that they could keep their face amongst the people of the village. He was forced to; not out of sympathy or empathy, but for exultation in the public eye. He thought little of it then._

 _He thought little of the funeral in its entirety, really... There was a tiny group. Other shinobi, her teammates, naturally, and a few other villagers from around. It wasn't until he really took a moment to look around the place. The mood was inexplicably heavy; the place brimming with tears and sobs of such magnitudes that should have been incapable for such an insignificant number that had gathered._

 _He didn't understand it. They all so grievously hung their heads and offered one another support, sharing in this common pain as though it had been a stab right through the heart. Banko even shared tears, though he refrained from thinking too highly of that, being he was so sensitive to begin with._

 _It wasn't until long after that, that he came to notice the gloom that lingered for days after. The bits of flowers and other memorial items that were laid against the step of her home._

 _He'd even once stopped, observing. A letter all the way from the Land of Waves._

 _He felt, suddenly, so stupid and unable. How could he not comprehend the impact that she had? Everyone else seemed to understand it perfectly, so why did nothing out of the ordinary seem to stand out to him? Maybe... he thought it selfish, but he wondered. What of the impact that he would leave behind? Of those he had met and passed by... Who would remember him? That thought had plagued him for so long... and finally... after so much thought, it had wedged a rift right through the armor-like shell he kept himself hidden behind._

 _Suddenly keeping face was the least of his worries. Having people idolize he and his family became a second though to the inquiry of 'Who will remember me?'. Surely, people remember at idol. But what is a idol in memory, that hasn't touched a soul? What is a hero that has saved no one?_

 _Bearing these thoughts tight against his mind at all times, softening his outlook on the people that could soon call him 'friend', he finally reached out... and he finally touched the waiting hand of one that needed him. No, not physically, but with a phrase that, while so simple, easily meant the world;_

 _"Are you alright?"_

 _She was broken seemingly beyond compare. Her fire had gone out, and though she mustered up a false one in its place; the brightness it had was only a candle in comparison. She was vulnerable. And against his nature... The way she appeared; in turn, squeezed sympathy out of him, rather than pity._

"I'm fine!"

He hadn't realized he'd spoken aloud. He turned his head to the female that spoke, her brow raising in a curious manner.

"I wasn't asking you. I really don't care how you feel." He stubbornly folded his arms, turning his head away in the haughty fashion that he had become infamous for amongst the trio, "I was merely thinking aloud."

"Yuh-huh, sure." The lightning-like tension between them kept revving up, much to the dismay of the disappointed Banko that was left to spectate their ever-ongoing 'debates'. Motsuki turned her head back to face front, hands resting proudly against her hips as she continued her strides.

Whence her gaze was averted, his crude expression softened.

It was merely a tiny bonfire compared to the wildfire that once raged on within her... But it was growing; and she was living and trying. It was a relief; that he had something to do with tenderly revitalized the coals of the one he now had the pleasure of calling his 'friend'.

 **A/N: HEY! I know this wasn't too long... But as much as I wanted to add more? I LITERALLY Couldn't. Not because of word length or any of that crap... But because I LITERALLY could not thing of a better way that this could end than the tiny string of sentences that DID end it. HOPE YOU GUYS UNDERSTAND LOL.**

 **Now believe it not,Snowflakes. This chapter almost didn't happen. I was JUST finishing up when my computer LITERALLY turned off out of nowhere. My face just got stuck at :O... And I** _ **slowly -tensely and in a raging flurry of wrath, snow and rainbows-**_ **and calmly got up...Got my charger... turned it back on. AND LUCKILY... BY THE POWER OF INSTINCT.. I'D SAVED** _ **RIGHT**_ **BEFORE! THANK GOD. AMIRIGHT?**

 **By the way I think I'm gonnd be putting up a new poll soon. SO there's that.**

 **Tell me what you think! :3 And let's not forget...**

 **...No matter how far away I seem...**

 **...No matter how long I've been gone...**

 **...No matter how late my updates are...**

 **...No matter how much I've seemed to disappear...**

 **Santa Still Loves Her Little Snowflakes.**


	3. Chapter 3: Discovery: The Surprise

**A/N: Hello, My dear Snowflakes! I assume some of your are already out and about on Summer Vacation? If so, I'm glad! I'm happy to let you all know that I've been feeling great lately! Much better, actually. So here... Please have this chapter as a display of my happiness.**

 _'I... have everything I need I think.'_

The flaxen haired young female was carrying a bag of supplies, but for what purpose... she had no idea. She had only spoken to Shiji for a brief moment before heading out, and he had only instructed to go out and prepare. For what? She hadn't the slightest idea, but with what had been talked about just a couple of days before, she had the impression that she would need to prepare for the Sasuke Retrieval mission.

It was early morning in Konoha, and though most-often, it was well packed with a slew of people, all looking to shop or gather for this or that, it was slightly less active this early. She had been told to take her rounds through the village with the utmost care. Anyone that could recognize her could be trouble.

She plucked a few more kunai from the countertop affront her, stowing them away into her bag and offering the money required.

"Thank you for your business!" The red-haired female so-chirpily replied, closing her pale colored eyes in a gleeful smile.

Parting her lips to speak from behind her mask; Kiyowa abruptly refrained. She nodded her head instead, finding herself smiling in reply before turning to leave.

Quietly pacing and pondering at once, she looked up to the spreading essence of dawn across the sky, feeling mesmerized for only a brief moment before excitement came bursting through her mind again. ' _You're going to have a really great surprise. Just make sure you're prepared.'_

His words echoed through her head and spurred excitement. She had goosebumps!

"I'll hurry and get back." She nodded in approval to her own choice of action, starting her way back toward the base in the forest. Since training had begun with her brother, she had felt more than confident, walking with her chin up and eyes straight forward. She learned to give herself her own security. As people passed by, she could so easily begin to feel their thoughts and actions by their emotions alone. Knowledge was imperative in this new challenge, and she was learning to embody that necessity with relative ease.

Sometimes it scared her just how quickly everything seemed to be putting itself together.

Practicing her ability, her -as she was now aware from being taught- sensory technique, she seemed to project it through those that she walked past. It almost made her feel a little guilty - it had to have been an invasion of privacy, after all, right? But she convinced itself it was for the greater good.

Readying to exit the village, a strange jolt - much like an electric shock-, abruptly traveled through her chest. She felt.. propelled forward, but her feet just barely remained stationary, causing a slightly awkward standing position. Feeling the nerves begin to rise upon her skin; she was rendered still - unable to take any step forward or backward. Instead... she reluctantly shifted her head to peer behind her.

 _What... is this..?_

It felt... familiar. Her breath catching in her throat, struggling to find release. Her muscles freezing in her limbs and preventing her from taking just the small stretch required to get to her base. What... was it that made her feel this way.

Finally, catching a glimpse; she could see from afar - a pair of eyes that seemed to be watching her intently.

White eyes.

Wait. This had all taken place at another time. Whilst she escorted her team to the Chunin Exams. It was the-

Kiyowa could feel her skin begin to crawl and writhe in the most crippling of ways. She could feel the sweat beading from behind the security of her mask... The pressure was absolutely unbearable. To know that she may have just compromised an entire assimilation of ninja.

' _Think... something... quick...'_ It was clear that if she registered that surprise of notice in her body language, it would make things most obvious... With the terrifying way that his gaze seem to pierce her -from even then she remembered-, it was most-likely that he would recognized even the tiniest details that hinted to similarity. Taking a sharp intake of breath that hardly seemed to fill her lungs in the way she required; the young ANBU thought quickly. She bent down, brushing her fingertips against the ground as though picking something up.

She clutched her fist in such a way that would have hidden the object -had there been one, whilst easing up to her feet. She pretended to store it away in her pocket, and tried her best to move fluently in the midst of her retreat.

Even as she left the area under the cover of her thrown-together facade, the watchful eyes that tracked her continued to focus intently on her disappearing form.

There was a positive uneasiness that seemed to be plaguing him now. He could feel a disturbance just a moment ago; a prying feeling similar to that of an infiltration. That strange intuition that one usually got when having the feeling that they were being watched by someone. Had it not been for the obstruction of her mask at just the point in time his eyes met the hollow of the material, he's positive he could have seen her eyes then. Had he been able, he was almost positive he could have identified her then.

It had occurred to him then. The time he had last felt something such as that. But was that not the girl that had recently been pronounced dead after a mission gone arry?

"Neji!"

The spirited call of the black haired male rose up over the hill, inadvertently demanding the Hyuga male's attention. With a waving hand raised, and -as always- speeding up to greet him, Rock Lee came to meet him at the top. His bandaged hand rested again his knee and he seemed to be breathing heavy, no doubt the result of his excessively heavy early-morning-training-regimen. "You are ready, yes? Gai-sensei says that we're going to be moving out soon."

Whence he found himself left unanswered, the large-eyed teammate glanced up inquisitively, "Hm? Neji? You can't possibly not be fully awake yet, can you?" He lifted himself to stand up straight, and in doing so, found Neji peering off toward the entrance gate.

"No. Not that." He closed his eyes, tipping his head away, "I'm only preoccupied..."

"Ahhhh. I see." Nodding firmly, the black haired male's lips seemed to form up into a strong _'M'_ shape, fist clenched tightly against his chest, "Well you had better clear that up before we leave! We have to have our mind focused on the mission 110%!" Whirring around quickly, he peered down over the hill, pressing his flattened hand's edge against his forehead as though to peer into the distance, "If Tenten shows up on time... I am almost positive she'll be late again..."

"Hm..." He looked back, only for a moment, but as he had expected, by then, she was most-likely far gone already.

 _'Please let that have worked.'_ Reaching a deep part of the forest, brushing aside the plants and undergrowth that blocked the way, the blonde haired kunoichi shakily inhaled. That was the scariest situation she had been in in quite a while. What was the penalty for revealing such a huge secret? Gah, leave it to her to make a mistake that huge. It was the price she paid for gardering her confidence, and wearing her power on her sleeve that way.

Gulping down the sour taste in her mouth that stemmed from her arisen, deep-seeted anxiety, the flaxen haired girl pushed open the door to the base.

"It's about time you got back."

Seeming to jolt slightly, Kiyowa glanced up, tucking her arms behind her back, "Ah..Shiji..."

"I didn't spook you did I?" He settled his hand in the pocket of his dark colored pants, thumb propping up on the opening seem. He could feel her nerves jumping around in her chest, and judging by all of the potential things that could have been a cause for it, he thought nothing of it. After all... there was a big trial that was right in front of her.

"No... I..." She paused for a moment. There was no need to cause concern if nothing became of it, yes? Her fingers moved affront her, fingers intertwining softly. "... I'm... excited..."

"Ahhh yeah... The surprise... You must be pretty hyped up."

"Yeah..." Though she attempted to fight it, she could feel her shoulders rising; an old habit that used to come about whenever she was put in a frightening or stressful situation, "W-What.. is it?" A hopeful glimmer passed through her deep green eyes for a moment, quietly watching and waiting for a response that would uplift the frightening feeling that was still boiling at her core.

"Well, it may not be exactly what you're expecting..."

Her stomach dropped immediately as they began to walk. That was definitely not what she wanted to hear. She hadn't even known what to expect, but the fact that she was expecting something good, immediately sent her already fleeting optimism taking a tailspin towards the ground.

They moved down the hallway, and Shiji continued to speak, leaving subtle hints, "But it's a step up from your previous training. You know. How you had to do the whole constantly-attended thing. And, hey, you got assigned a mission the other day, so you're well on your way, y'know."

' _I.. just wish he would tell me...'_ The beating around the bush was just sending her anxious nature skyrocketing to an unmentionably high level. It couldn't have been healthy. Hell, as time had crept by and the end of the hallway seemed to grow further and further away, she could feel herself begin to grow light-headed in the process. Her mouth way drying, and time seemed to slow even further than it already was if possibly. She watched her brother's hand loop around the handle of the door, feeling the heat beginning to grow further. Why? What, was this a guilty conscience?

The door opened swiftly, but still felt all too slow. Only the booming sound of a commanding feminine voice was able to shock Kiyowa back into full reality.

"It's about time you got here!"

That was Boar's voice.

Kiyowa's cold sweat stopped for a moment, and following the beckoning gesture of her brother, she entered the room.

All eyes seemed to shift to her. Four pairs in total.

Glancing up, she came to notice two members that she hadn't yet seen before in addition to the usual Shiji and Boar. The first was a female, standing a few inches taller than the small Kiyowa. In a rough estimate, the girl seemed to be about Kiyowa's age, standing about 5'5. She was had very light colored silver-white hair, tied into a high, straight ponytail that reached around her shoulders -maybe slightly above. Tied to the side of her head was an Anbu mask, all molded and designed with the intention of a sheep-shape.

The other, was much taller, and stronger-looking - maybe even older. He was quite frightening, though held a sturdily solemn expression, chin up with an air of assurance. He was probably about 5'9, slightly wide shoulders and a slim, yet lightly built-upon figure. Dark brown hair... maybe black, but she was assuming it was the former. It would have been a great sight for an outspoken girl, someone like Motsuki, no doubt, but Kiyowa was having a hard enough time attempting to get past the hardened expression on his face.

"This is going to be your team for the mission," Boar spoke up, stepping forward and motioning to them, "For as long as it takes for you to get to Sasuke Uchiha, you will be assisting them." Standing tall and professionally at attention, her head peered down to look directly to Kiyowa, "Introduce yourselves."

By means of eye-contact, one would think she was instructing Kiyowa, but at her command, the sheep-Anbu took a step forward. Her hand pressed against the top of her chest, and with a kind of smile, the pink-eyed young girl bowed in a threater-esque manner, picking her head up and tipping it curteously. "My name is Nao. But as we work together, please just call me Hitsuji." Hitsuji. Sheep. Just as the mask had depicted. It seemed to be a commonality that as a codename of sorts, the group would seemingly protect their security and identity by going by such names.

Kiyowa nodded her head in agreement, observing the girl closely. She seemed so... poised and calm... and yet the energy Kiyowa could feel from her was springing up with a bubbly nature that nearly forced Kiyowa to uncharacteristically bounce up onto her toes.

She was... holding back so much enthusiasm?

The male that stepped forward didn't make any sudden movement or greeting in the least. He merely acknowledged her with a simple nod, "Yuudai. Refer to me as Osuushi in the field. You may also call me Leader as made appropriate." Even his voice was stern and frightening.

As Kiyowa made a read here, she...

...

Well that was strange... She couldn't feel much of anything. It wasn't the feeling of earlier. She wasn't propelled out nor was her ability canceled. She was feeling his emotion, seeking his inwardly held feelings... but.. It's simply that there was barely anything there. No motion - no feeling... no nothing. If possible... it's almost as though she felt her masked fear for him grow by the moment.

He looked down at her with dark crimson eyes that seemed to be burning a hole right through her, until she tore her glance away and focused on the floor instead.

"I've already well-informed you of Usagi. Be advised that she is well-stocked with knowledge on your target. Keep her safe, and utilize her in any way possible." Boar was currently handing over the files to Kiyowa, who clutched them close to her chest. "As for the mission itself... The only information we have is the presence of Sasuke Uchiha approaching a coastal region in pursuit of other potential sister locations to Orochimaru's main hideout. Stop him before then, if possible. I want you to attempt to avoid pursuing him into any of these bases. It would be like chasing him into his own territory. If successful in encountering him. You're aware of what needs to be done."

The three nodded, each uttering varying tones of the simultaneous response of; "Yes, Captain."

They were aware of what needed to be done, it seemed.

The ultimate objective - pursue Sasuke Uchiha.

The hidden necessity to successfully carry out this mission - Eliminate him.

 **A/N: Thank you for all of your patience and support, my little Snowflakes. I don't mean to sound... Cheesy. BUT I LOVE YOU GUYS!**

 **Now, my little dear Snowflakes.**

 **Try not to melt in this heat, okay?**

 **\- Your Princess Santa Clause the 45th.**


	4. Chapter 4: Grief: Ash Tray Omens

**A/N: Hi... I...**

 **All of my emotions are in the Author's Note AFTER the chapter.**

 **I'll let this speak for itself~!**

 **Enjoy, my lovely snowflakes!**

"Unc," To the tune of jingling keys that were haphazardly snatched from a keyhole, the voice rang out in a calm shred of apathy. Motsuki pocketed the keys, pushing the door shut behind her with the sole of her shoe. "I'm home."

It never needed to travel too far. He was seated right at the table in the kitchen, his elbow seated upon the surface of the wooden surface, whilst his chin sat upon the bottom of his palm. He peered up, as was commonality, lit cigarette woven between his fingers. It was a normal occurrence for him to be seen with a cigarette like that, but for it to be lit...

Motsuki offered a glance that cut through the indifferent surface of her brown eyes to offer a faint hint of masked sympathy. She could see it. Every day since Hiruzen had passed, she could see his eyes growing duller. He often hid it with the jovial, often kiddish grin he presented people, but she knew him longer. It wasn't the same. Like every day something was eating away at him. Her hand drove into the pocket of the tool holster attached to her leg, fingers lifting a bag that rang with the bell-like chime of metal hitting metal. Coins, one could assume. With a casual flick of her wrist, she let the small sack slide across the table to land just in front of her uncle.

With everything that had taken place, she put a little more effort into helping him provide. She considered it to be allowing him flexibility, or at least a grace period to really pull together, but let him tell it, there was no problem with this productivity to begin with.

"Civilian pay." He only needed to look at the bag and hear the weight of it when he hit the table to reach this conclusion. The hand that sat beneath his chin moved to let his fingers slip the top of the bag between them, "You're taking easy missions again."

A pulse of disdain shot through her head, as signaled by the rather large growth of a vein. ' _For one accepting this pay, he's being awful picky.'_ She mentally chided his seemingly ungrateful word choice.

Her hands, as a result, pulled out the neighboring chair a little too roughly. She plopped into the seat carelessly, letting her own elbows prop up onto the table with an audible thud. "Well, hey," She shot, "they're easy, fast, and together they make pretty good pay for a day's worth of work." It was solid logic, but her reasoning didn't seem to fly well with him.

"Taking a day's worth of D-rank missions may add up to a C-rank or two, but you're not even playing in the same field as missions above that." He returned to his bored posture an dropped the bag of hers back down to the table.

"I think it's enough." Her hand gestured as she spoke, clearly displaying the displeasure that accompanied her tone, "Together we make plenty."

"Together," Asuma scoffed. "You've got the rank and experience to handle missions better than this."

By this point, a shock of sorts began to foster within Motsuki. The casual conversation they had was beginning to register to her as a sort of personal attack. What had him bringing this up now..? And what the Hell was so wrong with pulling their revenue together? "Well maybe if I didn't have a reckless uncle back home, I could leave the village for days at a time without worrying."

"This doesn't have anything to do with me," He raised his palm, dismissively pushing her fiery response back. "You have a different problem."

"I didn't have a problem until I walked through this damned door!" She was beginning to get a bit temperamental. It was common for her - being the outspoken one she was, she had buttons that were extremely sensitive to pushing. "What the Hell are you trying to do?"

"Heh." He didn't say a word for a moment, only fixed her with that usual smirk-like smile amidst the shaking of his head. His eyes opened slightly, taking to her with a gaze that completely antagonized her, despite the calm demeanor he so simply kept. "When did you stop taking missions outside the village?"

"I don't know..!?" Was she supposed to? It was just something that happened over the course of time! It was a time-saver! "I just did! What... Two? Three years ago?"

She never had a team to perform with, having come to the village and experienced the preparation for becoming a kunoichi so much later than most others. As a result, she often stuck close to her uncle and his team, or just did the simpler missions on her own. Traveling outside the village as a genin was only done as a substitute within another team, but... how was that relevant here?

"You used to get so excited about them."

Just like that - with that simple sentence -, her wrath evaporated.

Her risen hand that has shot up to convey her flaring emotions began to slowly coil down against her wrist; the stiffened nature of it was recoiling into a flimsy state of resignation. Her eyes dropped to her lap, brow gently knitted to display the depth of her contemplation.

It was true, wasn't it?

There was a child-like evocation in the way she couldn't sit still the night before traveling outside of the village. The way she carried herself differently with unfamiliar teams - trying to 'play it cool' and hide the way she inwardly jumped out of her skin at the thought of seeing new places. New adventures and challenges that made her quake with anticipation.

Motsuki steeled her tongue. She was far from ready to accept he was right - and never ready to accept she could have been wrong.

"Tsk..." Her shoulders shrugged, hand dropping to the table, "Fine... Fine... what do _you_ think is the problem then?"

"I think you're scared." He blatantly stated without a moment lost. He didn't wait for her to protest -as he knew she would, and instead, moved right into his point. "Now imagine how hard it must have been." He settled his hand upon her shoulder, "You lost someone out there to that world."

"Mm..." An utterance of reluctant surprise. He hadn't expected him to be so blunt... well... he wasn't. But she still knew full-well who he was speaking of. ' _Kiyowa...'_ Her fingers curled in against the tabletop, scraping lightly against it on their way to retreating into her palm. "That's what being a ninja's all about, isn't it? Tch..." Her head turned quickly away, helping her eyes to evade meeting Asuma's prying eyes.

"That's what you're taught, yeah." He plucked the cigarette from between his fingers, looking at the stick that had burned away on its own. He dragged it through the ash tray, leaving the butt to several of the others, "Doesn't make it any easier."

It was quiet for a while, the silence lingering and saturating between the two of them.

It was easy for the both of them to identify with the problem at hand. And just as Asuma said: Understanding the difficulty and strife that it formed made it no easier, whether that being experiencing it, or just speaking of it.

"So what?" She didn't deny it. She just broke the silence wafting, flattening her palms against the sides of her neck, "Why does this matter now?" She offered a mere shrug, "I could just get over it, right? Take a couple of years or however long to chill out. Problem solved."

"I know what you're thinking," He replied, looking away for a moment as if to gather the words he intended to use, "But I think the sooner the better. You need to learn how to take care of yourself." His brown eyes shifted to her, begging a question of sorts, "That's the whole point, right?"

Motsuki never had the ability to understand people very well. She usually spoke her mind, begging the necessary questions for someone to blatantly explain their problems or turmoil. The only reason she could understand Asuma so well was most-likely with respect to the length of time he had been involved in her life. Whatever the case was, she knew that the dismissive line he had just fed her was beginning to hint to more than just a well-placed poke at her future goals.

There was something else - and if she wasn't so skilled as to find it on her own, she would have to ask to know. Why was he more-or-less telling her to learn how to live without him? "What the Hell is that supposed to mean?" Maybe it came out too coarsely, but she felt it was the kind of edge she needed. Her uncle was a stubborn man, and he didn't respond to softness like most.

He uttered a hefty sigh, rubbing his hand around the back of his neck, "Dunno..." He stood from his chair, fingers killing the light from the candle's flame that sat affront them on the table. "Maybe I'm just tired's all." His hands pressed the chair in under the table, and he moved to go down the hall.

"No no. Hell no." Motsuki quickly moved to stand affront him, not willing to let bygones be bygones. She demanded answers by reiterating her previous question. "What are those death sticks giving you some kind of omen now?!" He bypassed her with relative ease, leaving her to pursue him down the hallway to desperately attempt to retrieve her answer, "What _is_ it!?"

Finally catching up to close in on him down the hall, she found herself greeted with the wooden surface of his shut door.

Her hand rose up, pressing against the door - though still firmly, much more gentle than what was considered possible for her.

She kept it there for a moment, a strong surge of frustration coming to life inside of her as she pulled her hand into a rough fist and snatched it back from the door, "Fine. _Don't_ tell me then." She yanked away roughly and retreated into her own room, shutting the door in a way much harsher than what was originally intended.

Her body collapsed against her bed, face burying into the cushion that it offered.

She didn't understand.

Surely, Motsuki was aware that her Uncle Asuma was not the most affectionate man in the world. Even when she was younger, he didn't bathe her in the kind of outward love that would be expected. She didn't mind. Despite their nonverbal agreement to such a relationship, she could feel that he was always proud of her. It was prevalent in the way he spoke to her, or the little physical signs he'd give - like the famous ruffles of his hair.

But she was also well-aware that in the recent years, he had grown almost cold. She could relate that to the stress of losing Hiruzen - which seemed to be a strong theme of the night's conversation. But some of those hints just never added up.

His attitude had barely faltered with his team. He spoke of them highly, spent so much time with them. Especially Shikamaru, she knew. She could tell he was her favorite - even if he would never explicitly state otherwise. But if his grief was the reasoning behind him acting that way... why did he treat her so differently?

Her back was now rested upon her bed, and her eyes focused a glare on the ceiling so harsh that the wood could have very-well receded out of fright.

The brown eyes that once held a spark of life began to die down into an unreadable fraction of its former self. She thought she had faced this before, and overcome the state of grief she had suffered through once before, but it was all coming back to her like it never left. Before, she lost her best friend - now, it was like she was losing her uncle too.

Having enough of the pain that stemmed from letting her mind wander, she threw her arm over her, pulling a mass of blankets along with her and shifted to lie on her side. She was tired.

Despite her emotional turmoil, it didn't take her too long to fall asleep.

The door to her room opened with an almost silent sound of sliding wood. There cast no light from the outside - the entire house having been resting in darkness aside from the limited light that peaked in through windows from the outside.

A hand brushed through her short black hair, and the figure it belonged to remained momentarily stationary. It lasted a moment, before his fingers left through the edge of her hair, recoiling to drop by his side.

"Sorry, kid."

 **A/N: *Writhes from the feels***

 **Way to make a comeback, right? I thought this would be some good insight into what's going on with poor Motsuki.**

 **I know it's been such a long time, but life's been very heavy on me lately!**

 **To be completely honest, though... I checked Fanfiction for the first time in months yesterday, and I saw a new comment on the story, so I checked it. I was surprised anyone really remembered this story, but that they cared for it so much? I was really shocked, but so happy to find this:**

 **PurpleKetloom chapter 3 . Feb 16**

 **... Please come back. T_T**

 **A comment from literally less than a month ago. It touched my heart... Literally... Don't worry, it didn't hurt. It felt magical.**

 **(** **◕‿◕** **) Thank you to all of you that didn't give up on me! I love you**

 **So I hope you enjoyed this chapter after so long!**

 **With Love** **,**

 **Princess Santa Clause The 45th**


	5. Chapter 5: Revelation: What Happens Now?

**A/N: Sugabee14. Darlin'. I know you're looking for things to be okay... (** **◕‿◕** **) But can I really promise that?**

 **I hope you all enjoy this new chapter, my dear Snowflakes~!**

The flames of a dying fire sustained a dim glow in the night. Travel had halted - it had been a couple of days since travel had started, and this was the first and only break they had been given throughout. Kiyowa would have been the first to admit that her stamina was lacking. Even through all the years and all of the training, it was an area that grew, but still fell behind her other areas.

She let her green eyes wander North to sneak peeks at the two teammates. She could only hope that they hadn't paused the mission on her account.

Hitsuji spoke spiritedly and frequently. Every second of downtime was the opportunity to strike up a conversation, and though Kiyowa had been urged to let her shell peel over the last fear years, she still labeled herself as a bit reserved.

Osuushi didn't speak at all. Unless he was giving orders or something of the sort, it was as if he just wasn't there. He stayed leading the group towards the front, and hardly ever turned around.

As a result, it was easy to say that Kiyowa found herself ostracized.

Even now, as she sat with her knees risen and her arms draped across them, there was silence and aimless chatter respectively. Her ears were tuning in and out here and there, and her eyes were beginning to droop. In fact, the fire was looking more like a hazy smear of paint vaguely luminescent paint. Her focus was deteriorating so fast... Faster than...

Abruptly, with a light thud of forceful skin upon skin, her head dropped into her arms.

"Oh my..." Hitsuji trailed. She let her hands rest on either sides of the log she was perched on and leaned forward like a child trying to inspect in secret. "Osuu," She said casually, to his undisplayed indifference, "Is Usa okay?"

The blonde could feel her head snap back up abruptly, shaking to the desperate tune of warding away the sleep that persistently visited her. "I'm okay..." She trailed, letting her gloved palm brush against her eye, "It... I'm okay now."

"Oh good!" The white haired girl chimed, kicking her feet in a pleasant manner, "I was a bit worried about you, you know. Ah-ah? So concerned?" Her finger rose to settle thoughtfully upon her chin whilst her rose colored eyes took to gazing above her in steady contemplation, "I must already be thinking of you as a companion...If that's the case..." Spirit sprang to her words as she widened her arms and clasped her hands together -fingers intertwined, "I must know more about you! Please! Your favorite colors, foods, and-"

"Instead of trivial information like that," Osuushi spoke up, glancing over with a riddled look of bemusement coursing through his face, "Why don't you ask her something practical. Like some of that information she has."

Yes yes. Something she wouldn't have to think too hard about. To be completely honest, she had been wrapped in a daze, staring aimlessly through Hitsuji. Had her sensory not been trained to come to her much as breathing did, she would probably be completely numb even.

"Ahh! Yes. As I know, you were teammates with this Uchiha boy," Hitsuji's fingers were brushing past her lips like she was quelling some insatiable thirst, "Were you two by chance... _Involved?_ "

The deep, breathy sighed of Osuushi rang out. He clearly intended to let the both of them know that he was exasperated.

Kiyowa could feel her previous exhaustion waft away momentarily at the rapid feelings of surprise and anxiety hitting her at such rapid succession. Involved? Did... Did she mean something like that? Would it even be _partially_ acceptable for her to ask something like that? Even more, would it even be acceptable for her to answer?! By Osuushi's sign of growing tired, she assumed the answer to both would be - no. Thank God.

Her hand drifted down to her upper chest as if it needed to be there for her breathing to become stable.

"It was a Sasuke Uchiha related question," Hitsuji casually informed, peering to the group leader as if to most casually plead her case. Much to her disdain, however, she received a stern look of disapproval. She responded in a most bizarre way, rather than falling into immediate obedience or frightened crumpling to authority, she placed her hand over her lips to stifle a spilling giggle.

Confusion circulated within Kiyowa, but the diffusion of the situation was leading to the return of her exhaustion, and thus, the retreat of her focus into her recesses.

"I think it's about time we turn in. Rest is essential - we may not have until morning." Osuushi turned to face them both, setting down the map all marked with circles and scribbled with texts. "I will take watch, so don't waste what sleep I'm losing." It seemed to be an oppressive reminder to Hitsuji in particular, who seemed more disappointed towards the notion of sleep.

Regardless of signs hinting to nonverbal protest, the sheep let herself recline into a comfortable spot with what little compact bedding she'd brought along, and at least attempt slumber.

Ironically, despite the difference in initial signs of tire, she fell asleep long before Kiyowa had even gotten the chance to lie down.

"You too, Usagi," The bull Anbu informed, peering up from across the flames.

From that space, just in front of and above the light from the fire, she could see his face in what seemed to be a different way. His dark red eyes looked a little lighter, glossy and reflective from the orange glow that flickered beneath him. But just below those cherry hues, she could see just what made their color stand out so much. The skin beneath his eyes were dark with the scars of a sleepless man - a sign that made Kiyowa worry about his offer to wait by as they rested.

"I could..." Speaking to him dropped writhing, anxious feelings into her chest. It always worried her as well, that she could never attain the chance to read into his thoughts or find out how to adjust herself or her speech before continuing: no socializing safety net.

She swallowed deeply, wetting her drying throat before finding the strength to continue, "I could keep watch instead..."

"No." It was an abrupt and stern answer that sent goosebumps along her skin. "You should know this, Usagi. You're our sensory ninja, and our information bank. You have to be sharp at all times." His expression never changed, piercing eyes cutting through her helpful offerings.

Her head lowered, hiding the way her lips gestured through withdrawing and twisting in the same way her nervous digits did in her lap.

"You were ready to drop a second ago."

Her head took to rise slightly, allowing her peering eye just enough space under her hanging bangs to be seen, "A passing thing, I think..." She was still tired, but her offer needed to be backed up with sincerity if it would hold any weight.

"Then if you need information to bore you to sleep, I'll oblige with mission details." He brought the map into his hands and proceeded to fold it down to its compact rectangle, which he moved to the side.

His eyes were on her once more, and she could feel her breath catching in her throat. It was like natural intimidation, or something of the sort. Her eyes never peered up, only watched her own lap, but she still could _feel_ his gaze, and her body was locking up as a result.

"You've been alongside us for a little over two days, and you've yet to educate yourself on just what you're working with." She could hear an edge of scolding easing into his words, "Were you briefed?"

Not at all. The whole mission was a sudden surprise. Being briefed on her team would have most-likely been way too responsible for someone like Shiji to do. The thought of it caused a bead of sweat to coast down her cheek. Still, out of fear of leaving him too long without a reply, she spoke up, "I wasn't. I'm sorry for that."

"As a member of the root cell, something has to make you stand out. You don't just join - even if you're given connections." His voice sounded even, never-changing, and the strength of confidence he spoke with made it clear he knew exactly what he was talking about.

The level of expertise he displayed was intimidating, and an easy reminder that she was still just a rookie.

She listened quietly, and he took this as a sign to proceed, "Your skill as a sensory ninja proves to be a valuable asset. The ability you possess is one that has yet to be fully analyzed - though nearly each clan is gifted with individual talent, so that isn't special. What's pulling your weight is how low in supply these ninja are."

He peered to the fire, offering only a dull stare as if taking an unconscious moment to sort out his thoughts. "Another supplementary asset to this team will be joining further ahead. He will be aiding us from a second branch of Konoha Anbu. All you need to know in short, is that his medical prowess is mind-blowing...

Hitsuji. Her most unique sense of aid lies upon her powerful genjutsu know-how. Aided with her chakra control, she comes in handy for a majority of situations."

The silence after the sentiment traveled on for a while, leaving Kiyowa's eyes to lie stagnant before raising up to see if he planned on continuing. The line-up described was a jitter-inducing force by brief description, but the inner curiosity that took root inside of her begged to see these people in action. To know if thee fearsome recruits are truly as threatening as detail serves.

Her fingers coiled around a couple small stray strands of hair that poked affront her ear and tucked it back where it belonged. She couldn't ignore that of all the people he mentioned just now, the most terrifying seemed to evade listing.

"...What about you?"

Kiyowa's question left the leader speechless momentarily. His eye seemed to gain a dull film that notably glossed at the lick of their dying candlelight. "You'll know that if it's meant for you to."

She watched him contemplatively until his eyes rose up. She guided hers swiftly away to evade potential eye contact.

"For now, you need to sleep. Sasuke Uchiha is dangerous foe, as I'm sure you of all people should know."

The comment let wonder take its time in stretching across her features, "...Foe. We don't have to speak like he's really our enemy..." Rehabilitation was the aim of the game, not getting involved in some sort of battle. That was the whole point in having these kind of people tracking him, and the whole point she was to be lending her assistance.

It didn't take but a moment for Osuushi to immediately put the pieces to the problem together. He let his eyes close, but there came no signs of stress, disappointment, or even exasperation -even though he showed himself so easily prone to experiencing the latter.

"Usagi. You can't be allowed to stay innocent for too long in this line of work," He finally spoke up.

This register almost as a sort of insult to Kiyowa. Her gaze turned on him incredulously, causing her green eyes to do what was akin to narrowing, "What do you mean by that?"

"Sasuke Uchiha is a dangerous rogue shinobi. His actions reflect the Leaf, and so long as he acts as he is, it destroys the character of the village, and puts it in a great deal of social and political danger amongst other major shinobi villages. That can easily result in pointing fingers, shaky tension and potentially even a war."

"That's why we're here! To bring him back!" Her voice had risen quickly, gaining an argumentative tone. Once she realized it, her hand lowered, as did her tone and the tension of her body, which loosened and fell into a more casual seating. Her eyes briefly caught the look of a stirring Hitsuji from her peripheral. Her cheeks lit up in a color of shock and embarrassment at her own actions, and quickly, respectfully, but not in a resigned manner, did she turn her eyes away, "S-Sorry."

"You're misinformed." He paused only long enough to watch the shock cross her face. He knew it would happen, and without a moment to let her recover, he finished his sentiment, "We're here to eliminate him."

Her expression crinkled before outright tearing apart. Her eyes stared in shock and awe, trying to fathom his words or to understand even a shred of the new information he presented. What her brother had told her... Albeit, even she could see it would be a gesture to protect her if anything, but... Would it even be moral for her to mix herself up in this? Could she witness him being eliminated that way? In front of her?

Her heart pounded against the inside of her chest like a panicked drumming, causing her hand to settle there as though it could really make a difference.

"It's at times like this that the innocence comment I made before becomes... necessary." He settled the map back in his lap once more, only peering up to her once as he did so, "A pure mind can't fathom the corruption of our justice, because a pure mind searches for an answer that protects everyone and exiles every dark deed." A subtle scoff-like sound passed through his lips, and just as the reddened coals died down to the depth of dusk, he left her with one last sentiment. "That's just not possible."

 _"Sleep well, Usagi."_

 **A/N: Just a check up on Kiyowa or er... "Usagi" and the gang. That was... quite a thing. ANYWAY. This story is going to be jumping perspectives quite a bit for a while, so I hope you all can keep up and understand that~!**

 **Please Read and Review for me, darling snowflakes! And spread the word is a furious flurry - PRINCESS SANTA CLAUSE THE 45th HAS RETURNED!**

 **P.S. The OTP Poll has come back for your voting pleasure :)**


	6. Chapter 6: Severance: It All Falls Apart

**A/N: Hey, everybody! I am here! It's been a while again.**

 **Happy Summer!**

 **Classes are done until the Fall!**

 **Please take this and be happy! But don't let me distract you if you're doing something important but yucky like finals.**

 **DO YOUR WORK.**

 **SANTA SEES YOU.**

"Can you believe that shit?" Motsuki glanced over with daggers in her eyes. She clasped a the rim of a cup in her fingers - a bitter fruit juice blend she often got when she was in these kind of moods. She waited for the support rally to come about, but paused her lips' journey to the edge of the cup when silence greeted her instead. Her head rose along with a brow, and her eyes slowly slid over to her choice of company. "Hello?"

"I hear you," Banko spoke up. While he averted his eyes for the sake of keeping a hesitant air, Tashi simply maintained eye contact. The green haired male pressed his fingers through his hair, however, refraining from a direct answer, "but..."

"But what?"

Tashi's brow furrowed momentarily. Her quip. It was a lot sharper than the usual jovial mode she gave the. He studied their female companion's face. There was no mistaking it in such bright sunlight. Her eyes were more narrow and far colder than the chestnut colored hues had ever been. What was wrong with her? It was like she was trying to instigate something - but what else would happen? If Banko were allowed to continue speaking, he would cover up all of his opinions with an anti-conflict dusting: tiptoe around eggshells instead of stating the blatantly necessary.

"I'll tell you, "Tashi spoke up, settling his hands in his lap, "You're looking for us to tell you that you're right."

Motsuki's hand let the cup slam down in front of her between her feet, "Hell'd you say?"

Banko's chest made a flip at the sudden claim. With the way the two aleady behaved with each other, it was safe to assume the comment would set something off. His bright eyes shifted between them in a panic, hands waving as if praying to separate them, "Hey hey... Whoa..."

"No, Banko. On the contrary, she needs to hear this." The brunette's eyes became narrow and threatening, challenging his companion. Surely it would be feeding into some unconscious will for conflict, or it could be a possibility that she was simply playing this high and mighty role so that the two would hold back, and thus let things sway in her favor. Either way, Tashi was simply not keen on letting that happen. He would tell her the raw truth - just what was necessary. "You're seeking justification." He blatantly said again. "Do you honestly want me to sit here and lie to you by saying it's appropriate for a chunin to only take on local, low-level missions?"

Incredulously glaring, the brown eyed kunoichi turned to face him. The way her shoulder hunched forward and her elbow lied across her knee, "So what? You think I could do better, right? That I'm afraid of something?"

"I never accused you of being afraid," The male put simply, shrugging his shoulder with the utmost calm, "I'm saying it's inappropriate. If you were going to sit in the comfort of the village and hoard missions you're overqualified for instead of filling the role you're suited to, why did you become a chunin?" The dull gleam in his eye let off a subtle hint of frigidity - a dangerous feel that challenged her, daring her to spill, "Better yet. Why did you become a kunoichi?"

Her brown eyes widened significantly.

There was a quiet silence that wafted around with an uncomfortable chill from a sudden breeze.

Why did she become a ninja? It was a basic question. So why hadn't she an answer?

Her nose wrinkled deeply as she let loose a darkened glare and frustrated growl. Who was he to ask a question like that? Here in recent years they had gotten along - but it was clear to her now that his actions of belittling her still fed that raging superiority complex. "How about you shut the Hell up, huh?"

"You're afraid of dying." He stated blatantly. "You've felt its effects twice - and so close together. It's natural that you begin to question when you're next." He pushed up to his feet, standing with the female that had leaped up out of pure reaction.

"So what? A ninja can't do that either?" She stepped up to him, carelessly kicking over the cup of the drink that sat up in her way, "You just gonna keep feeding me that? What a ninja should and shouldn't do?" A smirk coiled onto her lips. Despite the very slight height difference, the way in which she peered up at him almost gave the illusion the altitude was working in her favor. Very little distance separated them, her voice growing quieter to fit the place, but much more coarse and dark than before, "How ya gonna tell me what a ninja's supposed to be afraid of, if you can't even step up to your mommy and daddy hn?" Her hands pressed to his chest, giving him a rough shove.

Tashi gained his footing without too much trouble nor delay. He stood back up in the same proximity, glancing down with a tranquility that could be described as eerie, "You're afraid you'll leave the village unprepared, and have your name carved in that stone." He blatant spoke, tipping his head up for his nose to reach for the air, "Who cares if I can't stand up to them? I was born into a lifestyle that I'm learning to navigate. You _chose_ to be a ninja. Please. give me another excuse. I'm waiting for what nonsense you'll try to use as a crutch this time."

"Tsk." A bitter chuckle huffed for just a brief moment, "I don't even know why I asked you. Shouldn't you be scrubbing floors for daddy's love?"

Banko stepped up, finally seizing the moment to try ending the escalating feud before something worse took place. "Hey now... We don't need t'be throwing around harsh-"

"Oh, who asked you," Normally the comment would be taken with a playful roll off of the shoulders. This tie around with tensions running high, the chocolate-eyed girl shifted her attack to the approaching target, "You're a poor excuse for a shinobi - tottling behind Kioto here to make up for your shortcomings. Oh-so-typical."

An unfamiliar glint appeared in Banko's eye momentarily. He raised his hands to them both, but his gaze rested unwaveringly on Motsuki. "Look," He spoke sternly, strongly, and with a confidence that only one of the two others knew he harbored, "It's true. I'm no expert. But I won't let you put down what I do." He turned fully to her now, glowering down with a shocking intimidation, "If you think you're the only one with problems: You're not. If you think you're the only one afraid of something - _You're not_." He stepped a fraction of a step closer, almost as though his foot were hesitating for her sake, "But pushing your insecurities on me... forget that. At least _I'm_ trying."

A jolt shot through her chest. It was slight... but she felt it. It wasn't painful - no, not for long. The real ache came in comprehension. She led this group. That's how it had always been. She was in good graces for her uncle. That's how it had always been. She clenched her fists tightly. Everything was changing - all because she was screwing up, right? No, everyone had a complaint because she was weak.

Feeling warmth seep into her face, she backed away. There was the stangest blur in her vision. She could feel something coming ,and she certainly wouldn't be there to let them see it. Not to let them see they got to her. She turned quickly on her heel, beginning to storm away.

"Ah," Guilt washed through Banko, his hand reaching out in a futile attempt to stop the fleeing girl, "Motsuki wait... I-"

"Screw off!"

As he moved to pursue, he could feel Tashi had clasped a hand on his shoulder.

"Tashi, we can't just let her-"

"Let it be," He spoke, watching her become more distant, "She's having her own struggle. But I know her type." He let his hand drop, falling back by his side as he turned to retake his seat.

"...Her type.. Tashi are you sure she can really just be lumped together with a _type_..?"

"She's stubborn," He offered a clean cut answer, his eyes now fixed further out to the gates that were further out in his field of vision, "If you let her feel she got her way, she'll never find the need to change. You have to be tough with her for her to understand the message..."

A gentler breeze came out to greet the males this time, stirring a few wayward leaves along the way.

"So then... What will happen now?" The grassy haired male shifted his gaze to his left, awaiting something hopeful from this ordeal as he took a seat at his side.

Tashi kept his gaze fixed, peering past his wind-stroked hair to watch the silhouettes that had just appeared up on the Leaf Village horizon, "We have no say in that. The choices she makes are _her_ choices. We'll have to wait and see what that means."

The two remained there in silence for a moment.

Everything had happened so fast that day. They had nearly forgotten what they had gathered there for in the first place. Word had it that a couple of squads were supposedly returning from quite the important mission. They were only, as Motsuki had so-gracefully put it ' _waiting to see what they look like'_.

"It's the blonde guy again, "Banko spoke up, voice softer than prior to that day. He momentarily let his eyes lower to the pink juice that pooled on the ground. He wasn't staring, was he?

His eyes abruptly widened as he noticed a good portion of the color turn a dark red-like hue. "Ah..." He finally broke his gaze, letting his eyes wander up. A shadow... Someone had walked over it. So that's all it was. He was so on edge now, it was hard to say it like there was nothing wrong. He glanced up, seeing a male clad in white at his side.

"Tashi," The white-eyed male spoke with a sense of urgency despite harboring the tone of tire. The poor guy sounded a little exhausted, but he held his solemn countenance regardless.

Tashi's brow furrowed, his hands smoothing the robe-like clothing he wore as he rose to his feet, "Neji." The tone sounded far from confident. He didn't seem to be faltering this boy or anything... but it was clear he was bordering on the side of confusion as to why he was confronting him this way - and so suddenly. After all, Tashi had only seen this boy just enter the village with a rather... strange and full congregation of ninja. Hadn't he been one of the ones to return from this very 'important' mission? What was so urgent that he had to see with him right then?

"I have to speak with you in private," Neji replied promptly, wasting no time in getting right to the point. "It is of the utmost importance, but I ask that it stays confidential."

Tashi let a wary eye motion to Banko, but the latter ninja seemed more than fine with the situation. "No no," Banko spoke up, waving his hand off in assurance, "I understand if you need to go. Sounds real important."

Tashi only offered a nod, thanking him in that gesture as he and Neji took to making their way hastily down the Konoha streets.

Banko peered back only momentarily before letting his chin lower slowly back into his hands. His orange gaze once again became fixated on the puddle of juice left behind in the aftermath, "Take your time..."

 **A/N: So. Who had fun ripping their heart out? *Raises hand* Meeeee! I diddddd! ahem. Yeah... ;-; everything's falling apaaaaart.**


End file.
